Game Browser

Game Browser is a feature of Overwatch, and serves as the successor and an extension for Custom Game mode. It was originally incorporated into the Arcade, but was later given its own spot in the Play menu.

Game Browser consists of 2 main features: Find Game and Create Game. Using Find Game, players can look for available pre-created custom games in the server. Concomitantly, player can create their own custom game with customized settings by Create Game. In contrast to the original Custom Game mode, players can earn experience from participating in custom matches with other players. Winning a game using Game Browser won't count toward the earning of Arcade's weekly Loot Boxes.

Contents

Find Game

A list of available custom games

In Find Game, players are able to find the a list of available games in player's server. These games was listed along with their names, team formats (e.g., 1v1, 3v3, 6v6, etc.), game modes, current maps, pings, and numbers of in-game players (participants and spectators). Players can sort the game using those parameters by clicking it, otherwise it is sorted by ping by default.

By right clicking a game, players can access to its information menu, where they can read the game's rules in detail. The information menu also provide information about how long the game was created, number of in-game players, its creator, and options for spectating, joining or reporting it.

Find Game also provide players the option to refresh, filter and search the game by name. In filter menu, player can filter the game list by these options:

Max ping: by choosing between Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, players can limit the game list to display game with ping higher or equal to the selected option.

Only show game with space for party: enable it to filter out the game that don't have enough room for the number of people in player's group.

Show games: by choosing between All or Friends, player can choose to display all games, or to display only games that their friends created.

Maps: players can enable or disable specific maps and submaps. Games which allow disabled maps will not be displayed.

Heroes: players can enable or disable specific heroes. Game which allow disabled heroes will not be displayed.

Create Game

The new Custom Game

Create Game is the successor of Custom Game, carrying on its purpose of creating a custom game with special rule set. The differences between 2 modes are Create Game allows player to set the publicity of their game, which changes the game's visibility on Find Game, and there are more settings in Create Game than its predecessor which allow player to modified gameplay, heroes and maps in detail (for example, specific settings for each hero for each team, etc.)

Lobby

In the lobby, there are three list of spaces for players: Blue Team, Red Team and Spectators. On the upper left, there is a thumbnail to display next map. Right clicking on the map will open the game's information menu, along with the Report option.

Within the lobby, the creator of the game (the player with the green crown symbol) is able to:

Change the name of the game.

Change the visibility of the game. There are 3 options: 'Public', 'Friends only' (by default), and 'Invite only'.

Change the name of Blue Team, which is set as "Team 1" by default, and Red Team, which is set as "Team 2" by default.

Move player into another list/team. The creator can also swap the positions of 2 players.

When swapping a player to a full team, that player will be temporarily added into another list, named 'In Queue'. The creator can choose the team for players in Queue, between Red Team, Blue Team or Neutral Team. Player in top of the Queue will be automatically added into the corresponding team if a space in their team is open. Neutral Team players will be added into any opened space.

The game creator can adjust the hero and difficulty of AI. They can also remove or swap AI players.

Although AI players can be added if Elimination, Capture the Flag are enabled, they will not appear when the game starts.

Other participants are able to invite players to the game. This action can be done by clicking Invite button, or clicking an empty spot on the lists.

Settings

Only the game creator is able to adjust the settings. There are 4 setting options for Lobby, Modes, Maps and Heroes. There are also a setting options to quickly choose a pre-made rule set, or 'preset'. All changes will be added into a summary, which is always on the right side of the screen. A Quick Play preset is chosen by default.

Presets

Choosing a preset will overwrite all of the settings. Thus, there is a warning, which prompts the creator to confirm before a preset is selected.

There are 2 types of preset, Standard and Brawl. For more information, please expand those sections below.

Modes rules are set as Assault with Hero Limit: Off, and Random Hero on Respawn: On; Assault/Escort with Hero Limit: Off, and Random Hero on Respawn: On; Control with Hero Limit: Off, and Random Hero on Respawn: On; Escort with Hero Limit: Off, and Random Hero on Respawn: On.

Heroes rules are set as General with Ultimate Generation: 150%, Ability Cooldown Time: 25%, and Health: 200%.

Lobby

These settings includes adjustments related to the lobby, for example: adjusting team sizes, controlling map rotation, etc. For more information, please expand the section below.

Lobby settings

Map

Map Rotation:

After a Mirrored Match: the game will change to the next map after two team has changes attack/defense role once (by playing 2 games) in Assault, Escort, and Assault/Escort maps. This is the default option.

After a Game: the game will change to the next map after every game.

Paused: choosing this options will pause the map rotation, make the game continue with one map indefinitely.

Return to Lobby:

Never: the game will continue to next game without returning to the lobby.

After a Game: the game will return to the lobby after every game.

After a Mirrored Match: the game will return to the lobby after two team has changes attack/defense role once (by playing 2 games) in Assault, Escort, and Assault/Escort maps. This is the default option.

Team

Team Balancing:

Off: there will be no restructuring for both team. This is the default option.

After a Mirrored Match: the game will try to restructure both team for better balance after two team has changes attack/defense role once (by playing 2 games) in Assault, Escort, and Assault/Escort maps.

After a Game: the game will try to restructure both team for better balance after every game.

Team 1 Max Players: adjust the maximum number of slots in Blue Team. The default number is 6.

Team 2 Max Players: adjust the maximum number of slots in Red Team. The default number is 6.

Max Spectators: adjust the maximum number of spectator slots. The default number is 2.

Modes

These settings includes adjustments related to the game modes. For more information, please expand those sections below.

All mode settings

General

Enemy Health Bars: disable it to hide the health bar of enemy players. The default option is On.

Game Mode Start:

All slots filled: the game will wait for both team slots are filled to start the game. This is the default option.

Immediately: the game will start right away, even with empty slots on either team.

Manual: the game creator have to initiate the match themselves.

Heath Pack Respawn Time: adjust the length of time for health pack's respawn. The default value is 100%.

Kill Feed: disable it to hide the kill feed. The default option is On.

Skins: disable it to force all heroes appear in their default skins. The default option is On.

Spawn Health Packs:

Determined by Mode: choosing this option will leave the choice of disabling or enabling health pack for the mode in-play. This is the default option.

Enabled: choosing this option will enable health pack for all modes.

Disabled: choosing this option will disable health pack for all modes.

Heroes

Allow Hero Switching: disable it to lock the hero selection after the first spawning. The default option is On.

Hero Limit:

Off: No limit applied on hero selection.

1 per Team: No duplicate hero within a team. This is the default option.

2 per Team: Maximum 2 of the same hero within a team.

1 per Game: No duplicate hero in both teams.

2 per Game: Maximum 2 of the same hero in both teams.

Random as Random Hero: enable it to force the player to get a random hero after spawing, lock the hero selection after the first spawning and reset the ultimate status after spawning. The default option is Off.

Respawn Time Scalar: adjust the length of the respawn time. The default value is 100%.

Role Limit:

Off: No limit applied on roles in hero selection. This is the default option.

2 of Each Role per Team: Maximum 2 hero of the same role within a team.

Assault settings

Enabled: to enable or disable the Assault game mode. Choosing Off will hide all the Assault maps in Maps settings. The default option is On.

Capture Speed Modifier: adjust the speed of capturing a control point. The default value is 100%.

Competitive Rules: enable it to apply competitive rules to only Assault mode. The default option is Off.

Assault/Escort settings

Enabled: to enable or disable the Assault/Escort game mode. Choosing Off will hide all the Assault/Escort maps in Maps settings. The default option is On.

Capture Speed Modifier: adjust the speed of capturing a control point. The default value is 100%.

Competitive Rules: enable it to apply competitive rules to only Assault/Escort mode. The default option is Off.

Payload Speed Modifier: adjust the travelling speed of the payload. The default value is 100%.

Control settings

Enabled: to enable or disable the Control game mode. Choosing Off will hide all the Control maps in Maps settings. The default option is On.

Capture Rate Scalar: adjust the speed of the scoring percentage after taking the control point. The default value is 100%.

Capture Speed Modifier: adjust the speed of capturing a control point. The default value is 100%.

Competitive Rules: enable it to apply competitive rules to only Control mode. The default option is Off.

Limit Valid Control Points:

All: If it is a best-of-one match, one random submap will be choose for that game. If it is a best-of-three match, all of 3 submaps will be used for 3 games, in random order. If it is a best-of-five match, all of 3 submaps will be used for the first 3 games in random order, and 2 random submaps will be used for the last 2 games. This is the default option.

First: Only the first submap is used for all games.

Second: Only the second submap is used for all games.

Third: Only the third submap is used for all games.

Score to Win: choosing 1 for best-of-one match, 2 for best-of-three match, and 3 for best-of-five match. The default value is 2.

Escort settings

Enabled: to enable or disable the Escort game mode. Choosing Off will hide all the Escort maps in Maps settings. The default option is On.

Competitive Rules: enable it to apply competitive rules to only Escort mode. The default option is Off.

Payload Speed Modifier: adjust the travelling speed of the payload. The default value is 100%.

Capture the Flag settings

Enabled: to enable or disable the Capture the Flag game mode. Choosing Off will hide all the Capture the Flag maps in Maps settings. The default option is Off.

Movement Gravity: adjust the effect of gravity on a hero. The default value is 100%.

Movement Speed: adjust the movement speed of all heroes in game. The default value is 100%.

Projectile Speed: adjust the projectile speed of all projectiles in game. The default value is 100%.

Receive Headshot Only: enable it to make all heroes receive no damage if the attack was not a headshot or the attack was unable to deal headshot damage.The default value is 100%.

Weapons:

Primary Fire: disable it to lock the use of primary fire. The default option is On.

Ammunition Clip Size Scalar: adjust the amount of ammo in a hero's clip. The default value is 100%.

No Ammunition Requirement: allow heroes to have infinite ammo. Disabled by default.

Hero roster: the game creator is able to enable or disable specific heroes in here.

Individual Heroes settings

Every heroes have their own setting section in Individual heroes settings. For each hero, there are 2 sub-sections: Abilities and Combat Modifiers

In Abilities sub-sections, the game creator can modify each abilities by choosing to enable/disable it or adjust its length of cooldown time. The default option for all ability's status is On and the default value for all ability's cooldown times is 100%.

In Combat Modifiers sub-section, the game creator can modify these settings for each hero:

Damage Dealt: adjust the damage generated by hero's weapons and abilities. The default value is 100%.

Damage Received: adjust the damage inflict to hero. The default value is 100%.

Healing Dealt: adjust the healing generated by hero's weapons and abilities. The default value is 100%.

Healing Received: adjust the healing received by hero. The default value is 100%.

Receive Headshot Only: enable it to make hero receive no damage if the attack was not a headshot or the attack was unable to deal headshot damage.The default value is 100%.

Patch changes

June 20, 2017Patch:Player gravity and projectile gravity can now be modified. Knockback magnitude can now be modified on any weapons or abilities that have a knockback effect. Jump height can now be modified

May 23, 2017Patch:Added new rules sets for 3v3 and 1v1 Elimination modes on the Arena maps. Added options for Hero Lockout, Limited Hero Pool, Tiebreakers, and Hero Reveal for Elimination mode. Players can now disable secondary fire and secondary weapons in Custom Games. You can now disable one Symmetra ultimate while leaving the other active.

April 11, 2017Patch:Custom Game settings can now be saved as a preset from the game’s details page. This can be accessed by right-clicking on the map image from the Create Game page, right-clicking a game name from inside the Game Browser, or via the save button on the settings page. Players can now change weapon clip and magazine size or grant unlimited ammunition when creating a custom game.

March 21, 2017Patch:Fixed a bug preventing Bastion and Torbjörn bots from taking a defensive position when turret abilities were disabled in Custom Games. Fixed a bug causing players to respawn in the enemy spawn room after being pinned against a car by an enemy Reinhardt on Oasis. A scoring requirement clarification has been added to the Capture the Flag settings, stating that each team’s flag will need to be secured before they can score. Fixed a bug that could cause certain settings to be displayed on the Custom Game’s information screen even when they weren’t being used. Fixed an issue preventing values from the “Ultimate Generation” setting from being correctly displayed. Heroes and maps are now sorted alphabetically under the “Find Game” filters in the Game Browser. Fixed a bug preventing Bastion’s Self-Repair ability from being disabled in the Custom Game settings.

March 21, 2017Patch:When setting up a Custom Game, players can now disable or modify abilities activated with the secondary fire button.

February 28, 2017Patch:Game Browser added to the Arcade. Fixed a bug that caused Roadhog bot to spin around after hooking a target.